


it's better up ahead

by alotofthingsdifferent



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Boys are bad at communicating, M/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 11:50:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11440266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alotofthingsdifferent/pseuds/alotofthingsdifferent
Summary: Leon’s been preparing himself for this day for months.That makes it sound ominous, but it’s not, not really. It’s just -- it feels big, is all.“Hey,” Connor says, his head popping around the frame of their bedroom door.  “You ready?”“Yeah,” Leon says, grabbing the duffle bag at his feet and throwing it over his shoulder. He’d packed light, like Connor told him to, just a couple pairs of shorts and tees.“We can buy whatever else when we get there,” he said, and Leon agreed. No sense in dragging their shampoo and toothbrushes to Arizona when they could just as easily pick up some new stuff at Walgreens or something.“Hey,” Connor says again, when Leon’s passing him in the hallway. He grabs Leon by the arm, dragging his thumb over Leon’s bicep. “You good?”“Yeah,” Leon replies, nodding. “Yeah, of course. Come on, we’ll miss our flight.” He leaves a quick kiss on Connor’s lips and pick’s Connor’s bag up from where it’s sitting next to the door.He’s ready.He can do this.





	it's better up ahead

**Author's Note:**

  * For [liroa15](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liroa15/gifts).



Leon’s been preparing himself for this day for months.

That makes it sound ominous, but it’s not, not really. It’s just -- it feels big, is all. 

“Hey,” Connor says, his head popping around the frame of their bedroom door. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Leon says, grabbing the duffle bag at his feet and throwing it over his shoulder. He’d packed light, like Connor told him to, just a couple pairs of shorts and tees. 

“We can buy whatever else when we get othere,” he said, and Leon agreed. No sense in dragging their shampoo and toothbrushes to Arizona when they could just as easily pick up some new stuff at Walgreens or something. 

“Hey,” Connor says again, when Leon’s passing him in the hallway. He grabs Leon by the arm, dragging his thumb over Leon’s bicep. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Leon replies, nodding. “Yeah, of course. Come on, we’ll miss our flight.” He leaves a quick kiss on Connor’s lips and picks Connor’s bag up from where it’s sitting next to the door. 

He’s ready. 

He can do this.

~

He’s met Dylan before, so it’s not like he’s going in blind. And Connor’s talked about him enough in the time since Leon’s known him, even before they were dating, that Leon feels like he knows Dylan almost as well as Connor does. 

But they haven’t seen each other in person since they decided to do this, and Leon’s still kind of in awe that Dylan even agreed to it.

“I know you love me,” Dylan had told Connor, over the Skype call that changed everything. Connor had made a soft sound and touched the screen, and Dylan’s laughter came through the speakers. “We’re good, babe. I promise. Just. Can you put Drai on?”

He and Connor hadn’t even kissed yet, though it was the near thing that brought them to this conversation in the first place. Lean took Connor’s place in front of the camera, and the first thing that came out of his mouth was, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Dylan asked, tilting his head like he was genuinely curious. 

Leon looked at Connor, who was smiling at him, fond, and then back at Dylan. “I don’t know. I’m not trying to come between you.”

“Look, man,” Dylan said, leaning forward on his elbows. “Don’t apologize for making Davo happy, ok? It sucks that I’m half a damn continent away, so it’s nice to know someone’s got his back when I can’t be there.”

“Nothing’s happened,” Leon said, even though Connor had told Dylan that more than once. 

“I know,” Dylan said. “But you have my blessing anyway. Take care of him, ok?”

“What about -- I mean, what do we do, when you’re _not_ half a continent away?”

Dylan just shrugged, smiling. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

When they hung up, Connor sat down on the edge of the bed next to Leon, cupped Leon’s face in his hands, and kissed him. And now here they were months later, he and Connor, walking through the concourse at an airport in Arizona to see Dylan.

Leon’s ready, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little nervous. Dylan was -- _is_ \-- Connor’s first love, after all. They grew up together, they’ve got years on Leon and Connor, and yeah, it’s true that Leon’s the one who spends the most time with Connor, who gets to kiss him and touch him and be with him whenever he wants. But Connor and Dylan have _history_ , and sometimes Leon wonders if that’s more important. 

Leon’s never expected this to last, is what he’s saying. He figures he’s just a placeholder for Dylan during the season, but he’s so in love with Connor at this point that he’s willing to take what he can get. When Dylan invited the both of them down to hang out a bit while he trained, Leon figured it was the beginning of the end. 

“You’re thinking too loud,” Connor says, knocking his elbow against Leon’s, and Leon wishes he could reach out and grab Connor’s hand. As it is, they’re both wearing Jays hats pulled low on their heads, trying to hide their faces as best they can, but Leon still wishes. 

“Are you sure you want me here?” Leon asks, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. “I mean, don’t you want time alone with Dylan? I can get my own hotel room, we don’t have to --”

“Drai,” Connor interrupts, stopping in his tracks in the middle of of a busy walkway. “Come on. Don’t be stupid.”

Leon feels himself flush, and Connor reaches out, touches the back of Leon’s arm, just a brush of fingers. “I want you here. _Dylan_ wants you here. What did you think, that as soon as the season was over, I’d ditch you for Dylan?”

Leon doesn’t answer, but the way he shifts from foot to foot is probably enough for Connor to figure it out. “Jesus, Leon, why didn’t you -- we shouldn’t be having this conversation in the middle of the airport five minutes before Dylan’s picking us up.”

“I”m sorry," Leon says quickly, and Connor shakes his head before starting to walk again.

“It’s fine,” he says. “It’s fine, I just wish you’d have had this freakout back home instead of like, right before we’re visiting my other boyfriend for a week.”

It sounds so crazy that Leon laughs out loud. “We’re really doing this,” he says, and Connor looks at him like he’s lost it completely.

“We’ve _been_ doing this, Drai. I just wish I’d known you thought there was an expiration date.”

“Davo!” someone calls, and Connor’s entire face changes. He lights up, and it looks like he’s trying to physically restrain himself from sprinting to where Dylan’s standing, a Coyotes snapback turned backwards on his head and his hands in his pockets. 

“Hey, Stromer,” Connor says when they finally reach the spot where Dylan’s standing, and he pulls Dylan into a tight hug, his fingers fisting in the back of Dylan’s shirt. “Missed you,” he says under his breath, so only the three of them can hear. 

“Me too,” Dylan says, squeezing Connor one more time before he turns his attention to Leon. “I forgot how hot you are in person,” he tells him, and Leon barks out a surprised laugh. 

“Thanks?” he replies. “What’s going on with your face?” He motions to the sorry excuse for a beard smattering Dylan’s upper lip and chin. Connor bursts out laughing, and Dylan rolls his eyes, grabbing Leon by the front of the shirt and hauling him in for a hug of his own. 

“Thanks for taking care of him,” he says, and Leon hopes he’s imagining the unspoken _but I can take it from here_. “Now can we please get out of this airport so I can kiss my boyfriend?”

This is fine, Leon thinks, as he trails behind Dylan and Connor. Their hands brush every so often, and Connor keep stealing glances at Dylan, like he’s worried Dylan might disappear if he looks away for too long. 

This is fine. 

Leon’s got this.

~

Since they’re technically on vacation, Connor rented an obnoxiously beautiful house for the week. There’s a pool in the back yard, five bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a kitchen that Connor had fully stocked by a service before they arrived. 

“I’m gonna look around,” Leon says when they get inside, and he grabs Connor’s bag for him. “You guys catch up. I might nap or something.” 

“Are you sure?” Connor asks. “I could make something to eat, we can all hang.”

“I’m sure,” he says, smiling at both of them. The truth is, he’s not one hundred percent sure he’s ready to see them kiss, but he’s not about to admit that to either one of them. It’s better to just give them some alone time.

He’s not expecting it when Connor grabs him by the wrist and pulls him back in, his hand settling on the back of Leon’s neck as he leans in for a kiss that lingers on until Leon has to pull away, a little breathless. 

He steals a glance at Dylan, whose eyes look a little glazed over, and he feels the back of his neck go hot. Dylan doesn’t look upset -- quite the opposite, actually, and Leon’s not sure what to do with that. It’s one thing to kiss Connor in private, to get his hands all over Connor’s skin and leave biting marks down his neck and shoulders. It’s another to have Dylan watch it happen. 

He finds he’s not completely opposed to the idea, and he’s not sure what to do with _that_ , either. 

“I’m just gonna,” he says, waving a thumb over his shoulder, in the direction of the staircase leading to the second floor. 

“K,” Connor says, and gives him another quick kiss. “Sleep well. We’ll see you in a bit.”

The master bedroom is huge, a king size bed set in front of a huge picture window looking out over the back yard. There’s a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, big enough that it could probably fit all three of them if they sat close enough. Leon lets himself think about it -- the three of them pressed together in the hot water, Connor between he and Dylan, their skin slick, sharing kisses.

He shakes his head to clear the image. He has no right to think that way -- Dylan isn’t his, and he doesn’t even know him very well. He doesn’t even know if that’s something Dylan would _want_. 

He makes his way back into the bedroom and considers unpacking their bags, but the sun is spilling onto the bed, and it looks so inviting that he decides unpacking can wait. 

He strips out of his shirt and lays down, curling on to his side and closing his eyes. The sun is warm on his back, and it takes him no time to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

~

When he wakes up, he realizes two things.

One, Arizona is _hot_. He’s not even under the covers, but his skin is on fire. 

Two, he’s not alone. Connor is next to him, his mouth hanging open and his eyes closed, fluttering lightly like he’s dreaming. Leon smiles and watches him for a few second before he realizes a third thing.

Dylan’s on the other side of him. Leon can feel his body heat, and he’s pretty sure that’s Dylan’s bare shoulder pressed against Leon’s back. He doesn’t move; he doesn’t now if Dylan’s awake or asleep, and if he’s awake, Leon’s not sure he’s ready to ask why they’re all three in bed together.

And why it’s Leon, not Connor, in the middle.

He closes his eyes and breathes in slowly, out again, until he drifts off again.

Talking can wait.

Leon’s got this.

~

When he wakes up again, Dylan’s gone, but Connor’s still there, laying on his side watching Leon. “Hey, sleepyhead,” Connor says, running his fingers through Leon’s hair. Leon hums softly, leaning into the touch.

“How long did I sleep?”

“Few hours,” Connor says, and Leon suddenly wonders if he’d imagined Dylan being there, if it even happened at all. 

“Did you sleep?” he asks, and Connor nods.

“Mmhmm. Dylan too. Surprised he didn’t wake you, he’s like a heater when he sleeps.”

So it _did_ happen then, Leon thinks.

“Guess I was pretty tired,” he says, and his stomach grumbles suddenly.

“C’mon, Dylan’s downstairs making something to eat.” Connor sits up, grabbing Leon’s hands and pulling him up too. 

“He can cook?” Leon asks, and Connor makes a face, holding a hand up and wobbling it back and forth.

“Eh,” he says. “He’s ok. It’ll be edible, at least. Not promising a gourmet meal though.”

“He must have learned from you then,” Leon teases, kissing Connor’s shoulder, and Connor swats at him, mock offended. It lightens the mood, and when they all three sit down at the table to eat, Leon almost feels like he belongs there.

~

“I should get to bed,” Dylan says hours later, when they’re sprawled on the sectional watching a movie. “No rest for those of us still trying to make a team.” Connor hits him with a pillow, and Leon laughs. “Hey, not all of us are the next coming of hockey Jesus.”

Dylan extracts himself from their pile on the couch, locking his hands together as he stretches his arms out over his head. “You guys coming?”

“You two go ahead,” Leon says. “I’ll take one of the other bedrooms.”

Dylan frowns, and Leon doesn’t miss the look that passes between Dylan and Connor. “Why?” Dylan finally says, when the awkward silence has gone on long enough. 

“Um,” Leon says, fidgeting in his seat. “I always get to sleep with Connor, so.” It’s not even close to an explanation, but it’s all Leon’s got right now.

“Leon,” Connor says gently, but Dylan holds up a hand, stopping him.

“No,” Dylan says. “I don’t -- c’mon, Drai, I thought we were good with this. I thought it wasn’t going to be weird.”

Leon frowns, confused. “It’s not weird,” he says, defensive. “I”m fine with you and Connor, you know that.”

Dylan laughs, incredulous. “He really doesn’t get it, does he,” he says to Connor, who smiles fondly and shrugs his shoulders. 

“Guess not.”

“Doesn’t get what?” Leon asks, looking first at Connor, then at Dylan, then back at Connor again. “What don’t I get?”

“It’s not -- this isn’t like, either or, for me. It’s both. It’s both of you,” Connor says, and Leon can feel Dylan’s eyes on him, waiting for his reaction.

“Oh,” he says, for lack of anything better, and Dylan laughs, sitting back down on the other side of Leon. 

“This is probably my fault, too,” Dylan says. “I just assumed -- I should have talked to you about it too.”

“Assumed what?” Leon asks, tilting his head at Dylan in question.

Dylan grins. “Seriously, though, you’re really hot in person. Especially when you’re confused, apparently.”

“He’s very distracting,” Connor says, scooting closer to Leon’s side. 

“Ok,” Dylan says. “Here it is. When we decided to do this, I thought -- I mean, I guess I hoped? -- that it was, like. All of use. Not just you and Connor, and me and Connor, but.”

“You and me and Connor?” Leon fills in, a little shell-shocked.

Dylan nods, and for the first time, he seems nervous, his confidence shaken.

“Oh,” Leon says again.

“I get it if you don’t want that,” Dylan says quickly. “It was dumb of me to just assume you did, I’m sorry. We don’t have to, we can just -- I can sleep with Connor tonight, and then you can tomorrow, and then --”

“Dylan,” Leon says, cutting him off. “You’re rambling.”

Dylan’s cheeks color, and he looks at his lap. “Sorry,” he says, “I tend to do that when I get nervous.”

“I’d like that,” Leon says, putting it out there before Dylan can say anything else. “For us to -- I mean, all of us -- I’d like that.”

“Yeah?” Dylan asks, the corner of his mouth curving up into a shy, pleased smile. 

“Yeah,” Leon says. “You’re pretty hot yourself, Stromer, like I’d say no.”

Connor laughs. Dylan grins. 

Leon kisses him. 

It earns him a soft sound from Dylan and a sharp gasp from Connor. He smiles against Dylan’s mouth, then turns to kiss Connor too. 

“Damn,” Dylan says, under his breath, and Leon smirks at him.

“I believe you said something about going to bed,” Leon says, leaning in to press a kiss behind Dylan’s ear, just because he can.

“Yeah,” Dylan breathes, and Connor laces his fingers with Leon’s, squeezing. “Yeah, let's do that.”

Later, with Leon lying between them, sweat-slick and spent, Dylan and Connor kiss lazily. Leon watches them, feeling warm all over. 

Happy.

Leon had prepared for this day for months, but nothing could have prepared him for this. 

He’s got it, though. 

He guesses he always did.


End file.
